Formats

Gallina comes from a steep, sandy vineyard, similar to the Asili site, but with less limestone, which gives it more roundness and fullness. Full bouquet of sweet tobacco, cedar wood, liquorice and dried herbs. A soft, sweet, red fruit combines with the typical Roagna austerity in an exciting way on the palate to create an impressive complexity and length. It will only reveal its true elegance in a few years' time. SUPERIORE.DE

"Ruby red with bright reflections. The nose delights with a bouquet of floral notes: Mallow, hibiscus and hollyhocks are surrounded by fruity cherries and preserved raspberries and complemented by spicy aromas of black pepper, cedar and juniper berries. The red fruit is accompanied by dark aromas and vegetal notes of blackcurrant and blackberry leaves. The attack is initially subtle until the iron fist is brought out in a velvet glove. The gentle attack calmly builds up immense pressure with great inner tension on the mid-palate. The extract-sweet fruit of cherries and a fine core of sloes mingle with marzipan and noble bitter notes of the ripe tannins, which give it additional length. The exemplary use of wood highlights exactly what characterises a Barbaresco: Concentration combined with lightness and transparency." Sebastian Bordthäuser (Sommelier und Wein-Journalist)

In 1991, Turriga was one of the first bottled wines ever to be exported from the island. Turriga has a 100% Sardinian soul - the famous blend of four red autochthonous grape varieties was once created by the famous OenologistGiacomo Tachis and is continued today by his "heir" Mariano Murru, technical director and Oenologist at Argiolas. The DNA of this exceptional wine sounds as simple as it is perfect: its sophisticated blend of grape varieties gives it its unique structure, roundness, fullness, fruit and a perfectly balanced portion of tannins.

With a few hours in the air, Albesani begins to reveal the inner sweetness and fragrance so typical of wines from this Neive vineyard. Sweet dried cherries, rose petals, kirsch, cinnamon, orange peel and sweet tobacco open up with a little coaxing. Albesani clearly has a lot to offer for those who can wait for the initially prominent tannins to soften. SUPERIORE.DE

Roagna's Barbaresco Pajè already has a great need to communicate in its youth and shows itself to be open-minded and with multi-layered flavours, full-bodied and harmoniously balanced. An extraordinary pleasure for the next 20 years. SUPERIORE.DE

Beneath the village of Terlan, on the slopes of the Adige Valley, lies a geological mystery: a subvolcanic rock formation whose composition and character differ from anything else known in the world of wine. The porphyry forms the foundation – volcanic, millions of years old, interspersed with fine quartz inclusions. The soils that result are sandy-loam, slightly acidic, free of lime and low in nutrients. Highly permeable, they naturally limit yields. A soil that puts the vines under stress – and thereby forces them to reach deeper, to become more concentrated and more mineral. Since 1893, 143 members of the Cantina Terlan have been cultivating these slopes. What they produce here is unique in the world of wine: white wines that stand the test of decades, whose longevity is reminiscent of the Grands Crus of the Côte d’Or. Cellar master Rudi Kofler named the ‘Quarz’ after the rock to which he owes everything. ‘As delicate as the fine quartz inclusions in Terlan porphyry – that is our Sauvignon.” Delicate texture. Depth. A salty finish.

In 1983, Giuseppe Quintarelli did something that demonstrated the full extent of his innovative spirit and mastery: he applied the Amarone technique – allowing the grapes to dry rather than pressing them straight away – not to the native Valpolicella varieties, but to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and a little Merlot. Bordeaux grapes, transformed by Venetian tradition. The wine quickly became something special within the family: Alzero was the favourite wine of Giuseppe's wife, Franca. Anyone who tastes it immediately understands why. The grapes are left to dry from harvest until mid-December – an even longer period than for Amarone. Only then are they pressed, with maceration and fermentation taking place slowly in the cool family cellar. This is followed by seven years' ageing in a carefully curated selection of wooden casks before the wine is bottled.

As a result of extensive soil research, Francesco Ricasoli was able to identify three microlocations, which will be vinified separately from the 2015 vintage onwards. The range of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione now includes, in addition to the famous Castello di Brolio, three cru sites (Colledilà, Roncicone and Ceniprimo), all of which are 100% planted with Sangiovese. They differ in structure and taste in close correspondence with their terroir and impressively demonstrate the complexity of the Chanti Classico region.

As a result of extensive soil research, Francesco Ricasoli was able to identify three microlocations, which will be vinified separately from the 2015 vintage onwards. The range of Chianti Classico Gran Selezione now includes, in addition to the famous Castello di Brolio, three cru sites (Colledilà, Roncicone and Ceniprimo), all of which are 100% planted with Sangiovese. They differ in structure and taste in close correspondence with their terroir and impressively demonstrate the complexity of the Chanti Classico region.

The "heart" of Trinoro – the wine that most perfectly embodied Andrea Franchetti's vision. No fixed recipe, no predetermined formula, just the essence of the vintage: the best plots, the ripest grapes, the most expressive terroir. A cuvée that reinvents itself year after year, always dominated by Cabernet Franc and Merlot, complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The 2022 vintage was characterised by drought and heat, but meticulous foliage work and radical thinning out preserved the balance.

Of all its wines, the flagship Tenuta di Trinoro offers the deepest insight into the Franchetti family's viticulture. The proprietary blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from limestone and clay soils is adjusted each year depending on the quality and quantity of the harvest. The grapes are always the best of the vintage and come from the very best plots. The unique style of this Tuscan wine icon is recognisable with every vintage.

In 1996, Elisabetta Geppetti bought a hillside near Pereta. She named it Poggio Valente – the capable hill, the brave hill. A name that says it all. The vineyard lies at an altitude of 280 metres, facing south-west, on sandy soils over sandstone bedrock with clay interlayers – a soil that lends the Sangiovese precision and elegance rather than weight and power. Elisabetta wanted something different here: a single-varietal Sangiovese cru in the Burgundian tradition, a wine that speaks of its vineyard and nothing else. In 2014, she took a decisive step: Poggio Valente left the Morellino appellation and has since been classified as Toscana IGT. This is no step backwards – quite the opposite. It is a statement. This wine is greater than its designation of origin, and Elisabetta did not want the lack of international recognition of a particular appellation to limit her ambition.

Barolo Pira is a great, complex wine that has enormous depth and many nuances that open up further with time. It is light-footed yet wonderfully brooding and has so much to offer. Cherry, sweet red cherry, spice, orange peel, menthol and spice fill out the layers effortlessly. Young Barolo tannins are present, but the fruit is rich enough to keep things in balance. SUPERIORE.DE

With a few hours in the air, Albesani begins to reveal the inner sweetness and fragrance so typical of wines from this Neive vineyard. Sweet dried cherries, rose petals, kirsch, cinnamon, orange peel and sweet tobacco open up with a little coaxing. Albesani clearly has a lot to offer for those who can wait for the initially prominent tannins to soften. SUPERIORE.DE

"Transparent ruby red. The nose is reminiscent of a morning stroll in an oriental bazaar. The ethereal opening combines noble woods such as cedar and sandalwood until one enters the spice zone and juniper mixes with black pepper and cardamom as well as dark tobacco. The fruit vendors cheerfully offer cherries, raspberry jelly and preserved hibiscus blossoms, the florists have small violets on display. One of the market criers refreshes his bicycle chain with a quench of graphite and chews on a piece of liquorice with a smile. The ripe, leafy tannins of the Barolo Pira Vecchie Viti are tightly interwoven with extract-sweet fruit notes and the all-defining acid arc.

"Transparent ruby red. Vines over 80 years old provide the material for this exceptional Barbaresco with a cathedral-like appearance on the nose: the ethereal balsamic superstructure with notes of sandalwood and incense, juniper and rosemary is complemented by fruity litanies of cherries, raspberry jam and blood oranges and adorned by floral overtones of violets, mallow and hollyhocks along with a pinch of white pepper. On the palate, it is precisely parted, of noble understatement and charming nature. The fine, long acidity gives it aristocratic polish, the ripe and tightly woven tannins coat it in the noblest thread. Delicate and transparent, the delicate fruit illuminates the entire palate. Conversations fall silent, glasses clink, laughter. Its approachable manner seems jovial, yet it is demanding with decisive insistence and epochal reverberation. Everyone is happy to obey." Sebastian Bordthäuser (Sommelier und Wein-Journalist)

Rennina from the dream year 2016 is a proud parade drop - everything is in the right place here and, for the true connoisseur, a lot more besides. Deep, almost impenetrable ruby red colour. Initially a rather closed nose with mineral notes and a hint of oak sawdust. Then gravel road, mint and hints of caraway. The palate is fleshy, powerful, with concentrated sour cherry fruit and a present but never intrusive tannin. Despite a certain opulence, it is a balanced wine that - away from the mainstream - is guaranteed to find its friends who will give it the necessary understanding, plenty of experience and patience. SUPERIORE.DE

Radiant ruby red with purple reflections. In the nose first cherry, then herbal spice, mint and essential oils. Noble woods like cedar and sandalwood mingle with traces of pipe tobacco, smoky tones and damp, autumnal forest floor. On the palate, cherry again, an opulent potpourri of wilted leaves, damp soil, truffles, plus a fine note of old leather. An incredibly complex wine from a famous single vineyard that will give pleasure for many decades to come. SUPERIORE.DE

Maestro di Cava is a Bolgheri Rosso Superiore and a great example of Cabernet Franc, an expression of the volcanic soils and ageing in large barrels. Intense ruby red colour. The nose is clean, elegant and typical of the variety, characterised by a very intense bouquet of aromas with hints of red fruit, tobacco and leather. The palate is savoury, with great freshness. Excellent tannins, natural and perfectly integrated with the body of the wine. Persistent finish with mineral notes. SUPERIORE.DE

After the Second World War, Felice Dal Cero moved from Verona to Lugana di Sirmione on Lake Garda, where he began making wine. His son Pietro subsequently built up Ca’ dei Frati into one of Lombardy’s most prestigious estates – and, in 1969, was one of the co-signatories of the first Lugana DOC Disciplinare, the region’s first Denomination of Controlled Origin. When Pietro died in 2012, he left his children – Igino, Gian Franco and Anna Maria – not only a vineyard – but also a legacy. The siblings acquired further vineyards in Pian di Castagnè, in the eastern part of Valpolicella, near the Luxinum vineyard, on calcareous-marly soils with white and red flake-like rocks – —a terroir with a distinctly mineral character. It marked a return to their father’s roots. They therefore dedicated the wine they produce here to him: Pietro dal Cero – the father, to whom they gave back what he himself could never see again.

The Spuntali vineyard is historically known as the best area of the south-west, sea-facing slope of Montalcino. Spuntali is a historic cru for Brunello di Montalcino: it is its unique terroir, it is also the sunniest and driest of the three slopes of Brunello, and the sea, just 40 kilometres away, already provides a Mediterranean climate here.

On the northern edge of the Barolo zone, where Verduno towers over the Langhe hills like an outpost of elegance, lies one of the most mysterious MGAs in the entire denomination. Pisapola – a name familiar only to the initiated, but for those who know it, it holds the promise of exceptional finesse. Here, on calcareous clay and sandstone soils between 250 and 300 metres above sea level, Matteo Ascheri creates a Barolo that expresses the unique personality of Verduno in its purest form. Verduno is different from the other Barolo communes. While Serralunga stands for power and Castiglione Falletto for structure, Verduno is a refuge of elegance and flavour. The complex soil composition of limestone-clay, silt and sandstone, criss-crossed by chalky veins, gives the wines that savoury note that makes Verduno-Baroli so unmistakable. It is no coincidence that the rare Pelaverga grape variety, famous for its white pepper flavours, also thrives here – a clear sign of the aromatic intensity that these soils produce.

Since summer 2023, Chianti Classico producers have been allowed to include the eleven additional geographical indications (UGA = unità geografiche aggiuntive) introduced in 2021 on the labels of the top Gran Selezione category. For Chianti Classico winegrowers, it is a logical step to produce wines that reflect the area in which they were produced as authentically as possible. And customers can thus deepen their knowledge of the relationship between the wines and their region of origin - a real added value.